HEALTHY PERSONALITY

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“I wanted to prove that human beings are capable of something grander than war and prejudice and hatred.” Abraham Maslow, Psychology Today, 1968, 2, p.55.

Course ObjectiveLearning ObjectivesThe purpose of this course is to provide an Upon completion, the participant will understand understanding of the concept of healthy personality. the nature, motivation, and characteristics of the Seven theorists offer their views on the subject, healthy personality. Seven influential including: Gordon Allport, Carl Rogers, Erich psychotherapists-theorists examine the concept Fromm, Abraham Maslow, Carl Jung, Viktor of healthy personality allowing the reader to Frankl, and Fritz Perls. integrate these principles into his or her own life.

Accreditation Faculty Continuing Psychology Education is approved by Neil Eddington, Ph.D. the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Richard Shuman, MFT Regulation as a continuing education sponsor for LCSWs and LSWs (license # 159-000806), and for LCPCs and LPCs (license # 197-000108). This course is approved by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation for 6 hours of continuing education for LCSWs, LSWs, LCPCs and LPCs.

HEALTHY PERSONALITY INTRODUCTION personality offered by Gordon Allport, Carl Rogers, Erich Fromm, Abraham Maslow, Carl Jung, Viktor Frankl, and Fritz The study of healthy personality was ignored for a long time Perls. These theories are selected because they are fully in psychology, instead, mental illness was extensively developed and are contemporary in their appeal. Each examined. In the past several decades, however, a growing describes a level of personality development which is beyond number of researchers have recognized the capacityfor growth normality leading to healthy personality. and change in the human personality. These “growth The health of personality is considered important for psychologists” (most prefer to be called humanistic happiness, peace of mind, personal adjustment, and success in psychologists) have taken a new and fresh look at human living. To examine ways of becoming what we are capable of nature and have observed a different type of person from that being is a worthwhile venture as Maslow (1967) stated by the described by behaviorism and psychoanalysis, the traditional following: “If you deliberately plan to be less than you are schools of psychology.Whereas behaviorists see individuals as capable of being, then I warn you that you’ll be unhappy for passive responders to external stimuli and psychoanalysts see the rest of your life.” people as victims of biological forces and childhood conflicts,

the humanistic psychologists believe we can strive to become GORDON ALLPORT all we are capable of becoming and in the process transform THE MATURE PERSON from “normality” to healthy personality. Healthy personality has proven to be a difficult and elusive Allport believed healthy individuals function on a rational concept to define. There are thought to be enough definitions and conscious level, aware and in control of the forces that of healthy personality to fill a small book. Jahoda (1958), guide them. Mature persons are directed by the present and by however, observed that “positive mental health” includes one their intentions toward the future. The outlook is forward or more of the following six aspects of individuals: toward contemporary and future events, not backward to 1. The degree of personal integration achieved by the childhood traumas and conflicts as with neurotics. He saw a individual. gap or dichotomy between neurosis and healthy personality 2. The degree of autonomy achieved by the person. with neither type displaying any similar characteristics. The 3. The adequacy of the person’s perception of reality. neurotic reveals infantile conflicts and experiences and the 4. The degree of environmental mastery achieved by the healthy person functions on a different and higher plane. person. Allport only studied mature, healthy adults and had little to say 5. The attitudes shown by a person toward his or her about neurotics, hence, his system is truly health oriented. own self.

6. The style and degree of a person’s self-actualization. Schultz (1977) assessed components of healthy personality THE MOTIVATION OF THE HEALTHY PERSONALITY and stated the following characteristics to be agreed upon by Allport stated that adult motives are functionallymost theorists: autonomous of childhood meaning they are independent of 1. Capability to consciously and rationally direct one’s original circumstances. Rather than being pushed from behind behavior. by motivating forces in the past, we are pulled ahead by our 2. Being in charge of one’s own destiny. intentions for the future. 3. Knowing who and what one is and being accepting Central to this model is the importance of future goals and of strengths and weaknesses. intentions as indicated by Allport (1955): “The possession of 4. Being firmly anchored in the present. long-range goals, regarded as central to one’s personal 5. Pursuit of challenge through new goals and new existence, distinguishes the human from the animal, the adult experiences. from the child, and in many cases the healthy personality from As can be seen, any single definition of healthy personality the sick.” will be inadequate to some degree, yet it will be beneficial to The intentional nature of the individual - striving toward the have a working model, hence, the formulation by Jourard future - unifies the total personality by integrating all its (1963) will be used: components toward the achieving of goals and intentions. The Healthy personality is manifested by individuals who have intentional nature of the personality also increases the tension been able to gratify their basic needs through acceptable level of the person as he or she takes risks and explores new behavior such that their own personality is no longer a things. Allport believed that only through these new tension-problem to their self. They can take their self more or less for producing experiences and risks can human beings grow.granted and devote energies and thoughts to socially Interestingly, this view differs from tension-reduction models meaningful interests and problems beyond security, or of motivation (including Freud’s) which profess that people are lovability, or status. motivated to reduce tensions and thus maintain a state of This course investigates those conceptions of healthy homeostasis.

goal could never be fully realized so long as there were Emotional Security unexplored territories. To this end, Allport (1955) wrote: “Salvation comes only to him who ceaselessly bestirs himself This characteristic of healthy personality includes in the pursuit of objectives that in the end are not fully self-acceptance, frustration tolerance and emotional control. attained.”Self-acceptance is the most important and involves accepting Allport acknowledged the need to invent motives should all aspects of one’s being, including weaknesses and failings, existing ones become insufficient, hence, he proposed the without being resigned to them. Mature persons live with their principle of organizing the energy level.The woman whose shortcomings with little conflict within themselves. They try to goal was to raise children must find new goals and redirect do their best and improve when possible. energyonce the children reach adulthood. Mature, healthy Frustration-tolerance relates to tolerating stress and the persons constantly need motives of adequate strength to thwarting of wants and desires. Healthy people devise consume their energy. different, less frustrating ways of reaching the same or Allport’s theory of motivation of the healthy personality also substitute goals. Frustration is not crippling as it may be for includes the principle of mastery and competencewhich neurotics. proposes that mature, healthy persons desire not to perform at Emotional control pertains to an individual’s control of mediocre levels but at high levels of competence and mastery personal emotions so they do not disrupt social functioning. in striving to satisfy their motives.The control is not repression, but a redirecting of the emotions into more constructive channels. Mature persons exhibit these three traits because they have a CRITERIA OF THE MATURE PERSONALITY basic sense of security. They deal with life’s fears and ego- The following seven criteria of maturity represent Allport’s threats with a sense of proportion understanding that such characteristics of healthy personality. stressors are often manageable.

Extension of the Sense of SelfRealistic Perception The self evolves from being focusedonly upon itself to a widening range of people and activities. Allport believed that Healthy persons regard their world objectively and they the person needed to extend the selfinto activities with a accept reality for what it is. Mature people do not distort feeling of genuine personal involvement and participation. The reality to make it compatible with their wants and fears. self then becomes invested in meaningful activities and they Contrarily, neurotics may have a personal preconception of become extensions of the sense of self. This sense of authentic reality placing people and situations into compartments which participation applies to work, family, leisure and all aspects of may not reflect the reality of the situation. living. The more an individual is fully involved with various

activities, people, or ideas, the more psychologically healthy he Skills and Assignments or she will be.

Allport believed in the importance of work and the necessity Warm Relating of Self to Others of losing oneself in this activity. He did not think it possible to find mature, healthy persons who have not directed their skills Allport reported two kinds of warmth in relation to other toward their work. Work and responsibility provide meaning people: the capacity for intimacy and the capacity for and a sense of continuity to life. Allport (1961) quoted the compassion. famous brain surgeon, Harvey Cushing, on this point: “The The healthy person can display intimacy (love) for a parent, only way to endure life is to have a task to complete.” child, spouse, or close friend. A well-developed sense of self-

extension brings forth this capacity for intimacy as the person

displays authentic participation with the loved one and concern

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HEALTHY PERSONALITY Self-objectification Gordon Allport’s strength was his ability to detect common themes in the lives of psychologically healthy people and to The individual who possesses a high level of state these themes with clarity. self-objectification - meaning self-insight - achieves a higher

level of self-understanding. Knowledge of self requires insight CARL ROGERS into the relation between what one thinks one is and what one THE FULLY FUNCTIONING PERSON actually is. Allport suggested that those with greater self-insight are more intelligent than those who possess less self-Rogers felt that our perception of the present is more insight. important than past childhood events in attaining healthy

personality. In working therapeutically with clients, he A Unifying Philosophy of Life emphasized that personality must be examined and understood through the client’s personal point of view, his or her own Healthy personalities are forward-looking, and motivated by subjective experiences. What is real for clients is their unique long-range goals of accomplishment. This way of being perception of reality. Rogers developed a method of therapy provides continuity to their personalities. Allport called this which places the main responsibility for personality change on unifying motivation directedness which guides all aspects of a the client as opposed to the therapist, hence, the term client-person’s life toward a goal (or series of goals) and gives a centered therapy. He believed that reality is subject to each reason for living. Thus, within this model, having a healthy person’s perceptual experiences, in turn, it will differ from one personality is contingent upon aspirations and direction toward individual to the next, however, he sensed a common and basic the future. motivational force for all: the tendency or striving to actualize. Values are vital to the development of a unifying philosophy

of life. The neurotic’s values are thought to not be strong enough to unify all aspects of life. THE MOTIVATION OF THE HEALTHY PERSON Another contributing factor to a unifying philosophy of life is Rogers indicated a single motivation - “one fundamental conscience which involves a sense of duty and responsibility to need”- in his model of personality: to maintain, actualize, and itself and to others. The mature person’s conscience suggests, enhance all aspects of the individual. All aspects of human “I ought to behave this way,” whereas the neurotic’s verbiage growth and development operate within this actualizing is “I must behave this way,” based on childhood obedience and tendency, including physical maturation such as the body’s restrictions. organs and physiological processes developing. The

actualizing tendency at the physiological level is irresistible as CONCLUSION it thrusts the individual forward from one stage of maturation to the next, forcing one to adapt and grow. Rogers (1963) knew Allport was the first personality theorist to study mature, this process to be true for all living things as described by the normal adults instead of neurotics. He challenged several following, “Here in this palm-like seaweed was the tenacity of established theories of personality in developing his model. life, the forward thrust of life, the ability to push into an For example, he is rare in his emphasis that there are no incredibly hostile environment and not only hold its own, but to functional similarities between neurotic and healthy adapt, develop, become itself.” The goal of life is not personalities, that they are separate entities. His view that the maintaining homeostasis, tension-reduction, or ease and healthy personality, once formed, is free of past childhood comfort but movement toward increased complexity of experiences differs from Freud and other personality theorists. functioning allowing us to become all that we are capable of Additionally, Allport’s focus on increasing rather than becoming. At this biological level, Rogers saw no differences decreasing the tension level as a means of positive change is between the mentally healthy and ill, but significant differences noteworthy. appear regarding psychological aspects of actualization. The Psychological health is forward not backward-looking in this emphasis in actualization shifts from physiological to model. The outlook is toward what the person hopes to psychological beginning in childhood and is completed in become, not to what has already happened and cannot be adolescence. changed. Hence, Allport’s model of personality is optimistic This model defines self-actualization as the process of and hopeful. becoming oneself, of developing one’s unique psychological The mature person is actively involved and committed to characteristics and potentialities, is life-long and continual, and something or someone beyond the self. They are immersed in is the most important goal in a person’s life. Rogers believed life. The healthy person is able to love and extend the self into that humans have an inherent urge to create and that the most deep relationships with others. Mature persons know who they important creative product is one’s own self. are, in turn, they are secure in their relationships with self and

others.

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HEALTHY PERSONALITY THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SELF Openness to Experience At the time the self begins to develop in infancy, the infant The absence of inhibiting conditions of worth allows one to learns to need affection, approval and love from other people experience all feelings and attitudes since none are seen as which Rogers termed positive regard. The main requirement threatening or having to be defended against. Therefore, for healthy personality is receiving unconditional positive openness to experience is the opposite of defensiveness. regard which develops when the mother or caregiver offers The fully functioning person intensely experiences a wide love and affection regardless of how the child behaves. This range of positive and negative emotions without closing off freely given love and affection, and the attitude it represents, aspects of the personality; this results in greater personality become an internalized set of norms and standards for the flexibility. infant.

Children growing up with the feeling of unconditional Existential Living positive regard will not develop conditions of worth - feeling a sense of worth only under certain conditions, generally when The fully functioning person lives fully in every moment of behavior is not disapproved or rejected. Performing forbidden existence. Each experience is perceived as fresh and new behaviors causes the infant to feel guilty and unworthy which allowing for excitement as each experience begins. leads to anxiety and defensiveness. The child “loves” itself The self is open to new experiences resulting in adaptability only when behaving in ways it knows the caregiver approves, to life. Rogers (1961) believes the person is actually saying, thus, becoming a “mother-surrogate.” Resulting from this “What I will be in the next moment, and what I will do, grows process is the individual’s limited freedom because his or her out of that moment, and cannot be predicted in advance either true nature cannot be fully expressed. Contrarily, children by me or by others.” experiencing unconditional positive regard feel themselves Rogers emphasizes that this quality of existential living is the worthy under all conditions, have no need for defensive most essential component of the healthy personality. The behavior, and will not have incongruence between the self and personality is open to all that is happening at the moment and it the perception of reality. finds in each experience a structure that can easily change in The self is deep in such healthy people because it contains all response to the next moment’s experience. the thoughts and feelings capable of expression; they live life

fully and freely with flexibility and openness to new A Trust in One’s Own Organism experience. This person is free to become self-actualizing, to develop all of his or her potential, and to proceed to this To Rogers, behaving in a way that feels right is the most model’s ultimate goal, becoming a fully functioning person. reliable guide to deciding on a course of action and is more

reliable than rational or intellectual factors. He wrote: “When an activity feels as though it is valuable or worth doing, it is THE FULLY FUNCTIONING PERSON worth doing. Put another way, I have learned that my total Rogers’ (1961) version of the healthy personality is not a organismic sensing of a situation is more trustworthy than my state of being but a process, “a direction, not a destination.” intellect.” Rogers called one of his books On Becoming a Person which Making decisions only based on rational or intellectual describes the continuing nature of the process. factors is felt to handicap the individual since emotional factors Self-actualization is a difficult and painful process involving are not utilized. All facets of the person - conscious, continuous challenges to one’s capabilities. Rogers (1961) unconscious, emotional, and intellectual - should be analyzed wrote, “It involves the courage to be. It means launching in decision-making. Healthy persons trust their decisions as oneself fully into the stream of life.” they trust themselves. Similar to Allport, Rogers sees happiness as a by-product of

the striving for self-actualization; happiness is not a goal in A Sense of Freedom itself. Another essential point within this model is that self- Psychologically healthy people experience freedom of choice actualizing people are truly themselves without pretending to and of action without inhibition or constraint. These be something they are not. The self is the master of the individuals choose freely between alternative courses of personality and operates independently of the norms dictated thought and action. by others. Fully functioning people feel a sense of personal power about In addition to these points, Rogers offered five specific life and believe that the future is dependent upon their actions. characteristics of the fully functioning person. This feeling of freedom and power creates many life options

and the accompanying belief that we are capable of doing what

we wish to do.

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HEALTHY PERSONALITY Creativity alienation from the rest of nature, society, and our fellow humans. Rogers felt that all fully functioning persons are highly This model suggests that the challenge is to find resolution creative and spontaneous. Creative individuals are not known for the dichotomies in our existence and to find new forms of for conformity or passive adjustment to social rules; due to union with nature, with others, and with ourselves. Fromm their lack of defensiveness, they are not concerned with (1955) indicated that the choice is between “regression and approval from others for their behavior. progression, between return to animal existence and arrival at The fully functioning person is thought to be more capable of human existence.”adapting to and surviving drastic life changes due to the

creative and spontaneous element. Hence, Rogers considers fully functioning persons to be a “fit vanguard” in the process THE MOTIVATION OF THE HEALTHY PERSONALITY of evolution. Healthy people satisfy psychological needs in creative and

productive ways whereas unhealthy persons satisfy them in CONCLUSION irrational ways. Fromm offered five needs which derive from the freedom-security dichotomy. There is a special appeal in Rogers’ views that has

contributed to his popularity - his call to be “me” and to be “now.” This model is attractive in an age which emphasizes Relatedness self-expression and being free of inhibitions. Due to our awareness of being alone and separate in the Healthy persons are capable of self-directed growth and world, we must seek ties with others and find a sense of leading their lives largely unaffected by childhood events. relatedness with them. There exists an inherited tendency for psychological growth Unhealthy ways of finding relatedness include becoming and actualization, a built-in natural motivation for health of submissive to another person, group or ideal such as religion mind. for example, or by trying to achieve power over others by The contributions of positive regard and conditions of worth forcing them to submit to our will. The healthy way of relating are valuable as are the characteristics of fully functioning to the world is through love - not only in the erotic sense but people. Being fully open to all experiences without feeling also love of parent for child, love of oneself, and solidarity with threatened offers potential for an exciting life style. and love for all people. This satisfies the need for security and Responding to life experience as fresh and new and living fully allows a sense of integrity and individuality. in each moment of existence is very worthwhile. The ability to Inability to satisfy the need for relatedness results in choose and act freely without constraint, to feel a sense of narcissism - experiencing everything from one’s own power over life, and to be creative and spontaneous appear as subjective rather than objective point of view. cornerstones of healthy functioning.

ERICH FROMM Transcendence THE PRODUCTIVE PERSON This need involves rising above or transcending our passive roles and becoming creators - active shapers of our lives. By In this model, mental health is based on society’s ability to creating such things as children, ideas, or material goods we adjust to the basic needs of all individuals, not in terms of how rise above the passive and accidental nature of existence and well individuals adjust to society. Psychological health is more achieve purpose and freedom. of a social affair than individual. A healthy society enables its The alternative to creativeness is destructiveness - destroying members to develop love for one another, to be productive and life, and it also allows for rising above the passive state. creative, to strengthen capacity for reason and objectivity, and Obviously, only creativity leads to psychological health. it fosters fully functioning selves.

Fromm describes the essence of the human condition as loneliness and insignificance (this view is not as pessimistic as Rootedness it appears) due to the historical evolution of mankind from the lower animals and key eras in history which allowed cultures to Becoming rooted and involved with others combats the essence of the human condition - loneliness and insignificance. attain freedom, but at the expense of security and The ideal way to fulfill this need is through brotbelongingness. For example, as the growing child becomes herliness - increasingly independent of the mother, he or she becomes less establishing involvement, love, concern, and participation with society and fellow human beings. secure. Also, according to Fromm, unlike animals, our The unhealthy way to achieve rootedness is by maintaining behavior is not tied to instinctive mechanisms, rather, we have childhood incestuous ties with the mother. This person clings knowledge and awareness, but unfortunately, also isolation and to the security of early maternal ties which can extend to

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HEALTHY PERSONALITY include the whole family and potentially, the community. involves care, responsibility, respect, and knowledge of the Maintaining incestuous ties restricts love and solidarity to other and is thought to be one of life’s more difficult only some people which disallows full participation with the achievements. world at large, in turn, psychological health is not attained. Productive thinking involves an intimate relationship

between the object of thought and the thinker such that the person can examine the object in an objective, respectful, and A Sense of Identity caring manner. Fromm believed that all great discoveries and Human beings are felt to need a sense of identity as being insights contain such productive thinking in that there is unique; an identity which sets them apart from others. concern to objectively evaluate the totality of the problem. The healthy way of satisfying this need is individuality, the Happiness is an important part and outcome of living within process by which one attains a definite sense of self-identity. the productive orientation. It is a condition thought to increase These people have broken the incestuous ties with family and vitality and fulfillment of one’s potentialities. Productive feel in control of their lives instead of having their lives shaped people are happy people. by others. Fromm indicates two types of conscience - authoritarian and Contrarily, identity may be formed by conforming to the humanistic. The authoritarian conscience represents an characteristics of a nation, race, religion or occupation. In this internalized outside authority, such as parents or the state, case, the self is borrowed from the group, does not genuinely which regulates behavior through fear of punishment for belong to the individual, and will not achieve full humanness. violating particular moral codes. This is counter-productive to

productive living and opposite of the humanistic conscience which is the voice of the self, internal and individual, rather A Frame of Orientation than the voice of an external agent. Thus, the productive, This need relates to formulating an image of the world healthy personality is self-directed. which fosters understanding of all events and experiences. The productive orientation is an ideal goal of human The recommended basis for the frame of orientation is development and it has not yet been attained by any society. through reason whereby one develops a realistic and objective Fromm visualized this society as one in which no person is picture of the worldand does not distort reality with subjective exploited or manipulated, instead, the goal is maximum needs and fears. development of the self. In this future society, our humanness The unhealthy way of constructing a frame of orientation is is to be the focus, and the purpose of political and economic through irrationality. This involves a subjective view of the systems will be to foster human growth and full functioning. world in which events and experiences are seen not as they are The ideals of this society are love, human solidarity, but as one wishes them to be. brotherhood, the participation of each person in his or her own

life and in society, and the productive use of every human being. Fromm believes that it is not possible to reach full THE NATURE OF THE HEALTHY PERSONALITY productivity in our present social structure but that it is possible to attain partial productivity. Fromm provides a clear image of the healthy personality; such a person loves fully, is creative, has highly developed

powers of reason, perceives the world and the self objectively, CONCLUSION possesses a firm sense of identity, is related to and rooted in the world, is the agent of self and destiny, and is free of incestuous Fromm emphasizes the effect of social forces on shaping ties. personality. Supportive of this view, for example, is the Fromm calls the healthy personality the productive different outlook on life of those raised during the depression orientation, a concept similar to Allport’s mature personality of the 1930’s compared to those raised during the affluent era and Maslow’s self-actualizing person. It represents the fullest of the 1960’s. Nonetheless, Fromm is optimistic about realization of human potential. By using the word approaching the productive orientation, even under repressive “orientation,” Fromm makes the point that it is a general or harsh social systems. attitude or viewpoint that encompasses all aspects of life. Positively, by acquiring feelings of relatedness, rootedness, Being productive means utilizing all of one’s powers and love, and brotherhood, we are not condemned to constant potentialities and is synonymous with terms such as full-isolation and insignificance. Further, the productive person is functioning or self-actualizing. unselfish and offers responsible interaction with others; we Four additional aspects of the healthy personality are need others for our own well-being. included in the productive orientation: productive love, Fromm’s productive personality is anchored in reality, productive thinking, happiness, and conscience. perceives the world objectively, and decisions are made using Productive love comprises an equal relationship in which the logic and reason. These people direct the course of their lives partners maintain self-identity and independence. This concept without being passive; they are in control of self and their

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HEALTHY PERSONALITY destiny, and they strive to develop fully their capabilities. people in general and it is important to give and receive love. Happiness results from productive living and it promotes even Belonging needs are fulfilled by feeling at one with groups or greater levels of productivity. ideas which reflect our values and characteristics. Maslow

believed it difficult in the modern world to satisfy love needs ABRAHAM MASLOW because of excessive moving and divorce. We are not in one THE SELF-ACTUALIZING PERSON place long enough to develop roots. He viewed loneliness and isolation as inevitable results of failing to fulfill this need. Maslow’s goal was to acknowledge how much potential we Upon satisfying love and belonging needs, we look to develop have for full human development, and he studied only the a sense of esteem. Esteem needs are of two types: esteem extremely healthy individual to gain this information. He felt derived from others in the form of recognition, and self-esteem that examining the healthiest personalities would inform us of gained by feeling confident and secure in ourselves. Esteem the depth of our capacities. His work began with observation needs are built upon knowing who and what we are. Cognitive of two people he knew personally - Gestalt psychologist, Max needs represent the need to know and understand the world in Wertheimer, and anthropologist, Ruth Benedict. He saw which we live. Aesthetic needs include needs of beauty, characteristics which distinguished them from others and symmetry, poetry, music and the like. looked to generalize these findings among friends, Satisfaction of all these needs leads to being driven by the acquaintances, living and deceased famous personalities, and highest need, the need for self-actualization. This term is college students. Ultimately, he selected forty-nine people who defined as the development and use of all our qualities and appeared to be models of psychological health. Maslow did abilities, becoming what we have the potential to become. not release the names of the living subjects but the historical Amazingly, even though the lower-order needs of above have figures include: Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Baruch been satisfied, we will feel frustrated and discontent if we fail Spinoza, Albert Einstein, Elanor Roosevelt, J. W. von Goethe, to attempt to satisfy the need for self-actualization, and we Pablo Casals, John Keats, Adlai Stevenson, Robert Browning, cannot be described as being psychologically healthy. and Martin Buber.

Interviews, free association, and projective techniques were METAMOTIVATION: THE MOTIVATION OF THE used to assess the living subjects and analysis of biographical and autobiographical material for the deceased. He concluded SELF-ACTUALIZING PERSON that people are born with instinctoid needs - universal needs Neurotics and persons of normal mental health are which motivate us to grow, develop, and actualize our potential motivated to acquire lower-need gratification and the to become all that we are capable. accompanying tension-reduction this offers, called deficiency Maslow concluded that less than one percent of people motivation. Self-actualizers are concerned with higher needs: achieve self-actualization, but he felt that most are not aware of fulfilling their potentialities, knowing and understanding the their potential and with such awareness more people could world around them, enriching the experience of living, and reach this ideal state of existence that he found in his self-being all they can be, called metamotivation.This person is not actualizing subjects. trying to compensate for deficits in need-fulfillment or reduce

tension, in fact, the ideal is to increase tension through new and THE MOTIVATION OF THE HEALTHY PERSONALITY challenging experiences. Maslow (1970) stated this motivation is “character growth, character expression, maturation, and One prerequisite for attaining self-actualization is satisfying development; in a word self-actualization.” These individuals a hierarchy of needs, universal and innate needs arranged in a are no longer becoming, in the sense of trying to satisfy lower-hierarchy from strongest to weakest. The needs must be at needs, instead, they are in a state of being, of spontaneously least partially satisfied in this order before the need for self-expressing their full humanness. actualization appears, they include: (1) physiological needs, (2) Maslow described a list of metaneeds (also called B-values, safety needs, (3) love and belonging needs, (4) esteem needs, being-values)which are goals self-actualizersmove toward and (5) cognitive needs, (6) aesthetic needs, and (7) self-actualizing are states of being rather than becoming. The frustration of the needs. We are not motivated by all the needs at the same time, metaneeds produces metapathology which is often unclear as to rather, by only one, and the one is contingent upon which of the cause and may leave one with a feeling of despair. Though other needs have been satisfied. persons with metapathologies have satisfied their lower needs, Physiological needs include food, water, air, sleep, and sex. they are not considered healthy personalities. Examples of Safety needs involve security, stability, protection, order, and metaneeds and accompanying metapathologies include: freedom from fear and anxiety. Upon reaching a certain level aliveness versus feeling oneself to be determined with a loss of of fulfillment with physical and safety needs, we are driven by zest for life; effortlessness versus awkwardness and fatigue; love and belonging needs. We satisfy love needs by creating playfulness versus depression; and meaningfulness versus an intimate, caring relationship with another person, or with despair.

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HEALTHY PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF SELF-ACTUALIZERS their animal ancestors have accumulated. He felt it important to regain contact with the symbols, rituals, and myths of human By definition, self-actualizers have satisfied their history as contained in the unconscious. A portion of human lower-needs, are free of psychoses and neuroses or other misery and despair, he argued, is due to loss of contact with the pathological disturbances, and are models of mental health. unconscious. His view of psychological health was conscious Typically, they are middle-aged or older. Maslow thought that guidance of unconscious forces through integration of these younger people have not developed a strong sense of identity forces; both sides must be allowed to develop freely. The and autonomy, have not attained an enduring love relationship, process of this integration of personality is called individuation,not found a calling to devote themselves to, or developed their or self-realization. In order to understand what Jung meant by own values, patience, courage, and wisdom. individuation, we must review his ideas on the structure of Childhood experience is considered important for later personality. development of self-actualization. A healthy combination of

parental control and freedom is advised along with parental love toward the child. Maslow felt the first two years of life THE STRUCTURE OF THE PERSONALITY are very important, specifically, the child must receive In Jung’s view, the personality is composed of three separate adequate love, security, and esteem, otherwise, it will be but interacting systems: the ego, the personal unconscious, and extremely difficult for it to grow toward self-actualization. the collective unconscious. Beyond these points, Maslow indicated fifteen characteristics The ego is the conscious mind and it includes all perceptions, which self-actualizers possess, as represented by the following: memories, thoughts, and feelings within our awareness at any an efficient perception of reality; a general acceptance of moment; it filters out unwanted stimuli. nature, others, and oneself; spontaneity, simplicity, and The personal unconscious is a storehouse of material which naturalness; a focus on problems outside themselves; a need for is no longer conscious but can easily rise to the conscious. The privacy and independence; autonomous functioning; a material is composed of unimportant or threatening memories continued freshness of appreciation; mystical or “peak” and thoughts that have been pushed out of conscious experiences; social interest; interpersonal relations; a awareness. Related to this theme are complexes, clusters of democratic structure; discrimination between means and ends, emotions, memories, and thoughts around a common theme. between good and evil; an unhostile sense of humor; For example, a person with an inferiority complex is creativeness; and resistance to enculturation. preoccupied with inferiority but is unaware of its control

because the complex is not part of conscious awareness - it is in CONCLUSION the personal unconscious. Jung believed that there is a storehouse of universal Maslow offered an optimistic theory of human nature, evolutionary experiences - transmitted from one generation to demonstrating what we are capable of becoming. He also the next through hereditary mechanisms - which becomes the explained why this level is seldom reached by indicating that basis of one’s personality and directs all present behavior; he childhood experiences can be inhibitive, the process demands termed this the collective unconscious. These experiences exist much hard work, courage, and persistence, and because self-in us as tendencies to relate to the world as did our ancestors. actualization is the highest need, it is also the weakest need. Jung (1953) wrote, “The form of the world into which he is The concept of metapathology seems to explain why many born is already inborn in him as a virtual image.” people who appear to have everything are unhappy. They have These universal experiences are expressed in us as images, not taken the extra step toward satisfaction of the metaneeds which Jung called archetypes. By definition, an archetype is a and are feeling the need for self-actualization exerting its pull. model used for the creating of later images. Jung identified For those of us who feel that we are not functioning at our many archetypes, including birth, death, power, the Lord, the fullest level and that there should be more to life, Maslow’s demon, and the earth mother. We are not conscious of them, hierarchy of needs offers the challenge of reaching a higher rather, they influence us as tendencies or predispositions level of growth, and given fortunate circumstances, possibly existing at an unconscious level. reaching self-actualization. Of all the possible archetypes, Jung identified four as being

very significant: the persona, the anima and animus, the CARL JUNG shadow, and the self. THE INDIVIDUATED PERSON The persona is a mask we hide behind when playing a role in order to fit the requirements of different situations and people. Jung placed much importance on the effect of the We play many roles in life, therefore, we wear many masks. unconscious on mental health, in fact, he included as part of the Jung thought the persona was beneficial if used to help us cope unconscious not only the experiences that we accumulate, but with life events, but harmful if used too often as a deception. also the experiences that all members of the human species and In the latter case, the ego identifies only with the persona and

9 Continuing Psychology Education

HEALTHY PERSONALITY the true personality does not develop. Such persons realize at mode. some point that they have been living a lie. The goal of the healthy personality is to deflate the persona and allow the THE INDIVIDUATED PERSON personality to develop. Healthy persons know when they are playing roles and they know their true nature. The first requirement of individuation is becoming aware of Jung realized that the personality of a woman contains the aspects of the self which have been neglected, and this masculine components - animus, and the personality of a man occurs in middle age. Jung felt that the person in middle age contains feminine components - anima. These archetypes cannot continue to be led by the values of youth - pursuing arose from the experiences over time of men and women living money, prestige, fame, or position. Middle-aged people have together and acquiring characteristics of the opposite sex. A been somewhat successful in meeting life’s demands due to the healthy personality cannot be achieved without expressing both energy invested in the preparatory activities of the first half of sides of his or her nature. Thus, a man must express his life, but by age forty or so the challenges have been met. The feminine characteristic of tenderness and a woman her person still possesses great amounts of energy, though, and masculine characteristic of aggressiveness. Should this now must reinvest it in a different facet of life. To this end, expression not occur, then the other-sex characteristics become striving toward individuation is giving up the behaviors, values, undeveloped resulting in a part of the personality becoming and thoughts that guided the first half of life and reaching into inhibited. To Jung, disallowing full development and the unconscious where our true selves will be revealed. expression of all aspects of the personality negated The second aspect of individuation involves the sacrifice of psychological health. the personality characteristics that enabled one to achieve the The shadow is the most powerful, yet potentially most goals of young adulthood. The goals of the first half of life are harmful archetype. It represents animalistic and primitive meaningless in the second half and so are the attitudes impulses which are considered evil and sinful, but it is also the (extroversion or introversion) and functions (thinking, feeling, source of spontaneity, creativity, insight, and deep emotion, sensing or intuiting) of that period. No single attitude or elements considered necessary for full humanness. Hence, function is dominant in individuation, instead, they are all suppressing the shadow only enough to civilize one’s behavior capable of being expressed, must be expressed, and are brought and allowing for expression of the shadow’s positive side is into balance. Hence, those persons who were an extrovert in recommended. The totally suppressed shadow yields a dull and their twenties would have to become conscious of their lifeless personality, while the ego-regulated shadow produces a qualities of introversion. Likewise, those who were dominated lively and creative person. Once again, we see a harmonious by the thinking function would need to be conscious of their balance between opposites which forms the basis of healthy feeling, sensing, and intuiting functions. personality in Jung’s view. Another change during individuation involves shifts in the The most important archetype is the self which represents persona, shadow and anima/animus. The first change is striving toward integration and wholeness of all facets of the dissolving the persona by coming to terms with the genuine self personality, including using material from the unconscious. the persona has been covering; we must become ourselves. This process requires having objective knowledge about one’s Next, the individuated person must gain greater awareness of self and full development of all systems of the personality, in both the constructive and destructive forces of the shadow. turn, it will not occur before middle age, and for most, it will The persona concealed our dark side during the first half of life never completely occur. from others and ourselves, now, without being dominated by Jung contributed to the construct of consciousness in several these forces, we accept their existence. Then, the individuation ways. He believed that two orientations of consciousness are process demands the man to express his anima traits and the attitudes of extroversion and introversion. The extrovert is woman her animus traits so to reach a balance. Clearly, these oriented to the external world of objective reality and is processes bring one aspect of personality into a greater sociable, whereas the introvert is oriented toward an inner, harmony with the others, in fact, both sides of these dimensions subjective life and is often introspective and shy. must be expressed before individuation can occur. He also introduced the psychological functions of thinking, Resulting from these changes, healthy persons have what feeling, sensing and intuiting which represent how we Jung termed a universal personality, lacking in a single, experience our world. Thinking and feeling involve making dominant aspect of personality (an attitude, function, or any judgments and evaluations about experiences and organizing side of an archetype), the person cannot be classified as a and categorizing them. Sensing is experiencing reality through particular psychological type. the senses and intuiting is based on hunches or some kind of non-sensory experience. Finally, the two attitudes and four functions interact to form CONCLUSION eight psychological types, for example, an extrovert can Jung’s theory of the healthy personality is unlike any other function in the sensing mode or an introvert in the thinking as it strays from emphasis on reason and logic and highlights

10 Continuing Psychology Education

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HEALTHY PERSONALITY

The study of healthy personality was ignored for a long time
in psychology, instead, mental illness was extensively
examined. In the past several decades, however, a growing
number of researchers have recognized the capacity for growth
and change in the human personality. These “growth
psychologists” (most prefer to be called humanistic
psychologists) have taken a new and fresh look at human
nature and have observed a different type of person from that
described by behaviorism and psychoanalysis, the traditional
schools of psychology. Whereas behaviorists see individuals as
passive responders to external stimuli and psychoanalysts see
people as victims of biological forces and childhood conflicts,
the humanistic psychologists believe we can strive to become
all we are capable of becoming and in the process transform
from “normality” to healthy personality.

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